STOCKTON - Witnesses said one man was stabbed while pummeling another man on the sidewalk outside a fast-food restaurant Saturday night.

The stabbing occurred shortly before 7:30 p.m. at the Burger King on North Pershing Avenue near West March Lane. Witnesses said a man in his 30s started a fight with a man who appeared to be in his 50s for no apparent reason. The fight began inside the restaurant and escalated when they went outside.

According to a security guard who was patrolling the Venetian Square Shopping Center, the younger man repeatedly punched the older man. The younger man was on top of the older man throwing punches when he was apparently stabbed near his rib cage on the left side of his abdomen, witnesses said.

"The guy that was stabbed was the one throwing the punches," the security guard said. "All I heard the (older) guy saying was, 'Stop! No! Please stop!' There was no aggression out of that man. He did not want any part of what just happened."

Witnesses said the younger man walked inside the restaurant before realizing he was stabbed. There was a heavy trail of blood leading from the sidewalk outside the restaurant to the customer service area inside.

The younger man was alert and conscious when he was taken to the hospital, witnesses said. He was expected to survive his injuries, police said.

The older man acted in self defense and was not arrested, police said. He remained at the scene and cooperated with the police investigation, telling officers, "I know I'm in the right."

The District Attorney's Office will decide whether to file assault charges against the younger man for starting the fight, police said.